tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50918398783518893022012-02-16T10:51:59.767-08:00I read a lot. I like writing reviews. These are all the books I read, with my thoughts about them. Many of these are posted on Amazon; if you like these, go there and vote for them, okay? I'm trying to climb the book reviewer ladder.Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.comBlogger1311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-10980073169080178862011-04-17T07:43:00.000-07:002011-04-17T07:53:06.771-07:00

Elevenses: My Reading in 20111. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Completed 3 January.I got this book for Christmas, and had to read it as soon as I could -- partly because I wanted to use it for a class project, and partly because, c'mon, Richard Dawkins, atheism, great title -- who could resist that? And also because you want to appreciate your presents, you know?I loved it. It was

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-90745446107266540382011-02-05T06:41:00.000-08:002011-02-05T06:52:27.055-08:00

81. Capital Offense by Michael Hirsh 11/20Pick:I don't understand how Wall Street collapsed, nor what, if anything, has been done about it since. I wanted to.Review:A friend of mine is currently reading "The Grapes of Wrath," John Steinbeck's classic novel about the Great Depression. She just reached a place in the book where she started to feel thankful that her life is not like the Joads';

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-28005535448357969362010-11-14T07:47:00.000-08:002010-11-14T07:54:35.496-08:00

67. (Vine) The Wake of the Lorelei Lee by L.A. Meyer 8/24Pick:Not only did I get this off the Vine because it's a Bloody Jack book, but I bought the two books before this in the series just so I could read this one in sequence. That's right.Thoughts:One of the happiest things for an avid reader like myself is to discover a new series to enjoy. It means that you have not only one good book to

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-57549425980860403532010-08-22T20:13:00.000-07:002010-08-22T20:17:13.749-07:00

57. The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin (Sometime in July)Pick:I've been curious about Robert Rankin for a while; I noticed him at Powell's, mainly because of the titles. This one was a good price, and how could I pass this title up, I ask you? Since it's humor, it seemed a good idea after getting stuck on bad Russian history.Thoughts:It wasn't bad, but it wasn't

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-18415180109513350182010-07-22T07:09:00.000-07:002010-07-22T07:11:27.202-07:00

52. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn 7/9 (Woot! 52!)Pick:We wanted to give this book to my mother-in-law, so I had to read it first to make sure it was acceptable. Since it was my pick for her Book of the Month Club and all.Thoughts:This was very cute. The story is that Bernie Small is a private eye, and his best friend and partner, Chet, is a dog. Chet is the narrator, and the hero, of course.

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-85566310253510629632010-07-06T07:21:00.000-07:002010-07-06T07:26:12.773-07:00

44. (NTY) Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison 6/12Pick:Utterly bleak depression, followed by utterly depressing stupidity and shallow egotism -- can I read something nice now?Thoughts:This book reiterated why I like the Hollows books, but not as much as I like all of our other paranormal favorites. This one had a little bit less of the good stuff, because there weren't really any new creations

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-58817733361962036762010-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:002010-06-06T10:27:11.649-07:00

39. (13) Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 5/26Pick:I like the idea of the criminal mastermind at age twelve. I love the name, I like the covers, I'm up for a young adult fantasy series. And I need something lighter and a bit more cheerful after that gorefest. I'm also of the mind that this will be better written than that. Then again, so are the ingredients on the cereal box.Thoughts:It wasn't

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-6795850938291571822010-05-22T06:57:00.000-07:002010-05-22T07:01:02.359-07:00

35 (NTY) The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan 5/13Pick:I loaned this out to a friend, Tonya Arnold, who was both inspired and appalled by it, just like Toni was; I think both of them had to stop partway through the book and read something else, just to keep from having to give up food forever from the sheer horror and despondency. Once Tonya gave it back, it went on the short list until I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-36568708687785066692010-05-16T09:19:00.000-07:002010-05-16T09:22:32.403-07:00

30. (10) The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson 4/21Pick:I think this one was an LBS book (Library Book Sale) that just looked interesting. "An unsparing and hilarious account of one man's rediscovery of America and his search for the perfect small town." Funny, biting non-fiction? I'm in.Thoughts:I did like it quite a lot; it wasn't often laugh-out-loud funny (What the kids these days call "lol"),

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-30299572430451406322010-04-17T06:43:00.000-07:002010-04-17T06:46:25.770-07:00

Oh: and bad graphic novels about Templars.25. (Vine) Solomon's Thieves by Jordan Mechner, LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland (4/3)Pick:I was going through the Vine newsletter, not seeing anything that was terribly exciting but determined to look at all of my options; I had already picked the parrot book when I saw this little graphic novel, and I thought, "Hey, how long could it take me to read a

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-37304463003968274082010-04-03T07:13:00.000-07:002010-04-03T07:14:34.648-07:00

24. (Vine) Dragon Haven: Book Two of the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb 4/3Pick:Well, I read the first one for Vine; why would I pass up the sequel and conclusion?Story:The first thing you should know is that the story doesn't end here. This book, the sequel to "Dragon Keeper" and the conclusion of the Rain Wilds Chronicles, is not the end of the story. Things remain unresolved on the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-84647543727319677012010-03-26T11:27:00.000-07:002010-03-26T11:29:51.799-07:00

21. (8) Just After Sunset by Stephen King 3/20Pick:No real reason; Stephen King books are piling up, and I liked the idea of short stories.Thoughts:I didn't think this was his best collection of short stories; probably Nightmares and Dreamscapes or the classic Skeleton Crew were better. I like when his short stories lean to horror, since he does that so very well-- one of the best things about

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-82433549899436187182010-03-13T08:52:00.000-08:002010-03-13T09:04:23.983-08:00

Hey -- I just noticed that I should really change the title of this blog. And it also seems that this month-by-month system isn't really working for me any better than the review-by-review system was, so I think I'll go back to that. I got behind on my write-ups; I have too many things to do with my time. Ah, well. At any rate, here's the first score of books for this year, and I'll try to

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-34120221062351204052010-01-14T18:31:00.000-08:002010-01-14T18:31:17.401-08:00

**Summer Knight: The Dresden Files, Book 4 by Jim Butcher (60) 11/3 Pick: STILL trying to fill the time between finishing the last book and the arrival of my beloved Wheel of Time. Also enjoying Dresden immensely, so this made me put aside my Vine book for now in favor of Harry. Story: I had forgotten that this one began with Harry mired deep in depression, obsessed with saving Susan from her

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-70377090652028377182009-11-13T07:08:00.000-08:002009-11-13T07:35:04.928-08:00

A wee bit late. I've been kinda busy. The sad thing is that I've been reading pretty well for the last two months, but I'm only four books farther along on my Read All My Books quest. Well, six if you count the two I didn't finish. At least they're off the shelf. But I should probably focus more on the shelf, and less on re-reads and Vine books. And then there's those pesky student essays

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-89431088350382692412009-09-06T07:14:00.000-07:002009-09-06T07:23:50.074-07:00

**The Child Thief by Brom 8/7 (41)Pick: Vine Voice book, chosen because it's by Brom and I never got to read The Plucker.Amazon Review:I was in a small town theater's production of Peter Pan when I was young, playing Michael, Wendy's youngest brother, so I know the story pretty well. At least, I thought I did.Then I opened The Child Thief, by Brom, and I found out that I didn't know Peter

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-80523572531815638112009-08-01T14:05:00.000-07:002009-08-01T14:19:24.282-07:00

July33. Jim Butcher: Fool Moon34. Christopher Moore: Fool35. Daniel Wallace: Friends Like These36. Kim Harrison: For a Few Demons MoreStarted A Friend of the Earth by T.C. Boyle; stopped because of the Sign.Fool MoonPick:I wanted to grab up my next Vine choice, since it sounds really interesting, but the last one was a wee bit of a slog, so I wanted something more fun, more casual, that I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-81820056755660318092009-07-01T19:05:00.000-07:002009-07-01T19:13:02.918-07:00

I dunno why I started the count over; I think I remembered all of the books I've read that I missed a proper write-up for, so I've gone back to what should be the correct total number. The Magicians is #32 for the year. Here's the last four for June, including the one I finished today, the first of July. Hey, I read most of it in June.A Fistful of Charmsby Kim HarrisonPick:Wanted to knock

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-18650584524336467762009-06-20T10:13:00.000-07:002009-06-20T10:21:26.786-07:00

This is to make up for, and explain, the lack of a post since April 4. Here's what I have for the months of April and May, and part of June; the rest of June -- which is shaping up to be the best reading month so far this year -- will come at the end of the month, as before.Booklist 2009 (After The Fall)Our computer melted, and destroyed our hard drive and everything we had saved. Including the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-67243637169780275622009-04-04T08:41:00.000-07:002009-04-04T08:45:59.436-07:00

I'm still reading slowly -- damn those Sims! (No, I don't mean that. I love my Sims. I'm going to go play with them right now.) and I fell behind in writing these books up, so I forgot the exact dates I finished them. Ah, well. I'll try to be better in the springtime.11. Carrie Vaughn: Kitty and the Silver Bullet 3/612. Gahan Wilson: The Cleft and Other Odd Tales 3/I dunno13. Jim Butcher:

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-49519123504302749802009-03-24T06:44:00.000-07:002009-03-24T06:50:34.515-07:00

This one's for Hotpants.FEBRUARY7. Douglas Adams: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe 2/38. Augusten Burroughs: Dry 2/69. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: Bones of the Dragon 2/1510. John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley: In Search of America 2/26The Restaurant at the End of the UniversePick:I picked this because I needed to read a good book. I needed to read a short book, too. I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-28035132563232552362009-02-01T07:29:00.000-08:002009-02-01T07:38:53.775-08:00

Since it seemed, in posting these things last year, that I would always wait until I had several of them lined up and then post them all at once, I have decided to do things a little differently this year: I'm going to put up single posts, one per month, that cover that month's entire reading. I am going to continue pretending that people actually read this, even though I know better. Meh. I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-17457586138104262582008-12-31T19:19:00.000-08:002008-12-31T19:22:26.537-08:00

So that's it; that's the year in books for me. It was a good one, though I think I worried a bit more than I should have about the accomplishment of reading, rather than the enjoyment of it; I got a little wrapped up in reading as many books as possible, writing stellar reviews for all of them, and keeping careful count of how many books I read and when I read them. I blame the Amazon reviewer

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-19000103436618673542008-12-31T19:18:00.002-08:002008-12-31T19:19:34.279-08:00

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin ThomasonI rushed this one, trying to get it in before the year was ended; I managed to read it in about 24 hours, and so here we are with the 108th and final book of 2008.It was okay: the writing was excellent, the characters were nice, but the plot was a little bland. The setting didn't help, either, as it did not lend itself to either interesting

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-72391295137331074022008-12-31T19:18:00.001-08:002008-12-31T19:18:56.403-08:00

Goblin War by Jim C. HinesI made a bit of a mistake in picking this one, I think; I love the goblin books, and it seemed like the right genre choice after reading Leary's caustic non-fiction memoir/social commentary, but I wasn't really in the mood for this book right at this time. It made me shy away from reading it, so it took longer than it should have, and I didn't really pay as much

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-67009273761903890072008-12-31T19:17:00.000-08:002008-12-31T19:18:09.867-08:00

Why We Suck by Dr. Denis LearyThat's right -- Dr. Denis Leary, proud alumnus of Emerson College in Boston, has received an honorary doctorate in humanities and letters. He's a Doctor. So now you have to do what he says, just like Dr. Phil. Unlike Dr. Phil, however, Dr. Denis is hilarious, insightful, and in almost every instance, absolutely correct, if a wee bit brutal.Because we do suck. We

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-56212749674948284442008-12-26T07:54:00.001-08:002008-12-26T07:54:54.160-08:00

King's Property by Morgan HowellI figured, what the heck, I'm only in the middle of, what, nine or ten fantasy series? Let's see, there's Jim Hines's goblin books, the Temeraire novels, the Tawny Man trilogy, the Furies of Calderon, the Mistborn series -- and of course the Wheel of Time. That't not counting the paranormal series I'm into, including both Anita Blake and Merry Gentry, plus Rachel

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-47383646900931294102008-12-26T07:53:00.000-08:002008-12-26T07:54:10.455-08:00

Dog Days by John LevittSince this is a milestone book -- the ones that marks two books a week for the year -- I wanted it to be the Emerson collection I started and didn't finish, so I got back into that. Unfortunately for my geekery, I still can't read Emerson for more than half an hour or so without my brain getting twisted into a nice pretzel shape. Though I liked what I read this time as

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-18817837123895830602008-12-26T07:52:00.000-08:002008-12-26T07:53:14.622-08:00

A Caress of Twilight by Laurell K. HamiltonSo far, I have been less impressed with the Meredith Gentry series, as compared to the Anita Blake series. Not particularly because the Merry books are bad, because they're not -- I just think the Anita books are excellent, and the bar was set a leetle too high for these books in my mind.This second installment picks up where the first left off:

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-56859700583581996712008-12-16T09:13:00.001-08:002008-12-16T09:13:48.615-08:00

In the Best Familiesby Rex StoutI liked this one far, far better than the first Nero Wolfe book; I realized with this one that these books are not mysteries so much as legal thrillers of a kind. You're not really expected to work out the murder, though if ever you happen to know what happened before Wolfe reveals it in the last five pages, you should be proud of yourself; most of the book is

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-21622728724269011142008-12-16T09:12:00.002-08:002008-12-16T09:13:08.803-08:00

Dave Barry is Not Making This Up by -- guess.A collection of Dave Barry's columns, both hilarious and very well-written, and I'm going to buy more of his books. Hah, see? I can be brief and to the point. My favorite was the one on censorship, which he fought by writing about circumcision. Hilarious, and also strong and noble. Which is even funnier, considering the subject. My respect for

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-55956216532531832382008-12-16T09:12:00.001-08:002008-12-16T09:12:38.664-08:00

A Universal History of the Destruction of Books by Fernando BaezI'm very happy that this one became the 100th book on my list for this year, but I'm not too happy that I read it. It was, as it says, a history of the destruction of books, from the burning of the Library of Alexandria and the flooding of ancient Sumerian temples full of clay tablets, to the recent looting and burning of the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-74591459691730660982008-12-16T09:11:00.000-08:002008-12-16T09:12:03.751-08:00

Then We Came to the End by Joshua FerrisFound this one at the Safeway book sale; the cover claims it is both hilarious and moving, brilliant and contemporary. I guess it is.The book is set in an advertising firm in Chicago right around 2000-2001, and it starts off funny enough; the employees of the firm spend all of their time gossiping and talking about everything imaginable, and there are some

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-34766405070297083462008-12-16T09:10:00.000-08:002008-12-16T09:11:32.534-08:00

Dope Sick by Walter Dean MyersThis is my second Walter Dean Myers book; the first one, Sunrise Over Fallujah, was not a book I enjoyed, and it made me question, a little bit, whether this author should have gotten all the accolades he has received over his writing career or if he, like many authors I don't like but the critics do, has managed to write popular fiction but not good fiction. But

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-69644784405373618372008-12-16T09:09:00.000-08:002008-12-16T09:10:36.981-08:00

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksander SolzhenitsynYup, read this one for school. Amazing description, great little jabs at Communism and Stalin and censorship, and I will be using it for my students. But the main impression of the whole thing was a single thought: Well, I may be annoyed by my job or the weather or what have you -- but at least I'm not in a Soviet work camp. I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-75347819250687647592008-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:002008-12-16T09:09:46.047-08:00

Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? True Adventures in Cult Fandom by Allyson BeatriceI read this book, after Toni's tepid recommendation, as a light-hearted switch from the heaviness of Robin Hobb, and in that respect, it worked fine. Sadly, Toni's lukewarm reaction was entirely accurate: this is, at best, a mediocre book by a mediocre writer. But at least she has a five-star

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-62210070679748480792008-12-16T09:07:00.000-08:002008-12-16T09:08:54.911-08:00

Fool's Errand by Robin HobbSo I've finally slouched back around toward Bethlehem to read a Robin Hobb series again. Last year, intending it as preparation for reading this series, I re-read the Farseer trilogy, about FitzChivalry Farseer, royal bastard, assassin, and twice-over psychic; and then after a false start on this book, I read the Liveship Traders series, about the dragons that once

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-8994977067224136622008-11-26T09:01:00.002-08:002008-11-26T09:02:02.380-08:00

Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill MarkoeThis one I read after Toni's insistent recommendation. She read it and loved it, mainly because it's about a woman who starts hearing her dogs talk to her, and Toni and I have been doing the talking for our dog -- and our other pets -- all of his life. And after reading this, I wish Charlie would just drop the act and talk to me himself.

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-71000735471433868602008-11-26T09:01:00.001-08:002008-11-26T09:01:33.662-08:00

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. HamiltonNow that I've read all the Anita Blake books -- and gotten into some amusing arguments about their literary merits and dangerous influence on impressionable youth -- I figured it was time to move on to Merry Gentry.The final grade for this first book would be somewhere in the B- range, I think. I liked it, overall; I like the fey and the Courts and the way

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-17971966382181794032008-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:002008-11-26T09:01:02.642-08:00

Fer-de-Lance by Rex StoutSo we were organizing our books, taking some old favorites that we want to keep but aren't interested in reading right now off the shelves and putting them into storage in boxes. We were also entering them into our computer database, because we're just that nerdy when it comes to our books. And we had to enter in 40 or so Rex Stout books, because the first mystery

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-73414912260193309032008-11-16T09:03:00.000-08:002008-11-16T09:05:16.210-08:00

Academ's Fury by Jim ButcherThe second installment in Jim Butcher's epic fantasy series was, if it is possible, even more exciting and even more complicated -- and thus even more impressive -- than the first. Furies of Calderon set up the world, and spent much of its length doing that; Academ's Fury follows a taut, thrilling storyline all the way through, keeping up the suspense for over 500

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-89934265287181794372008-11-16T09:02:00.002-08:002008-11-16T09:03:31.543-08:00

The BFG by Roald DahlI've never read a Roald Dahl book, though I've admired the man's imagination and storytelling for years. So when I saw this one at a library sale, I grabbed it, and after I spent a full week reading a 650 page Stephen King tome, I thought it would be nice to read something short and fun.It was: this is a great story, and I read it in a day. I love the way the Big Friendly

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-34508281833820241932008-11-16T09:02:00.001-08:002008-11-16T09:02:50.758-08:00

Wizard and Glass by Stephen KingAnother reread, as I pursue my goal of going back through the Dark Tower series; unfortunately, as my TBR shelf got so weighted down with books that it actually collapsed while I was reading this, I decided that maybe I should focus on reading new books, instead of re-reads. A resolution that lasted about a week -- now I'm re-reading the first Nero Wolfe mystery.

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-55055781473330959402008-11-01T07:06:00.000-07:002008-11-01T07:07:33.659-07:00

Iron Kissed by Patricia BriggsAnd the reason I read Blood Bound, of course, was so that I would remember enough of the prior events when I read Iron Kissed, the "new" one (Actually it's been on the shelf for most of a year). Since these are shortish books -- I love that I see under 300 pages as a shortish book and my students see anything over 10 pages as way too long to read -- I went straight

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-42356167256554126422008-11-01T07:05:00.000-07:002008-11-01T07:08:07.957-07:00

Blood Boundby Patricia BriggsHere comes the shortest review of the year, since this is a re-read of a book I read only last year. I like the Mercy Thompson books, though I remember liking the first one better than this; Briggs does a wonderful job of world-building here, particularly with the society of the werewolves, and Mercy's a great character -- the underhanded sneaky one in a world of

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-20295917115275663432008-10-27T18:37:00.000-07:002008-10-27T18:38:11.639-07:00

Possession by Chris HumphreysI read this one for my librarian friend; normally I would have passed on this, because it's the third book in a trilogy and I haven't read the first two. But I wanted to help her out with her stack of books to be reviewed, and I liked the guy's name (heh), so I picked it up; my friend pointed out that one of the measures of a good book is whether or not you can pick

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-54972808791600341682008-10-27T18:36:00.000-07:002008-10-27T18:37:38.493-07:00

Blood Noir by Laurell K. HamiltonSo I tried reading Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, because apparently, between Eon and Temeraire, I don't have enough books about dragons in my life. Dragons and vampires; what is it with dragons and vampires? But what I failed to consider is that Naomi Novik and Alison Goodman can write; Christopher Paolini, for all the hype he's gotten -- and all the GINORMOUS

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-6165691631498486072008-10-19T06:58:00.000-07:002008-10-19T06:59:58.045-07:00

Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie LaskasThis was an extraordinary book. Not only was it beautifully written, but the story it told was both magical and humble, entertaining and realistic. It is the story of a pair of city-dwellers moving onto a farm in rural Pennsylvania, where they are forced to deal with strange neighbors; sexism so ingrained in the social interaction that it begins to

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-72085231686602650982008-10-19T06:57:00.000-07:002008-10-19T06:58:53.418-07:00

Sandman III: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman, et alI got this for Christmas last year, and never got around to reading it; sometimes I think I've spent almost too much time reading this year, and then I think about all the books I haven't gotten around to reading, and I think I haven't spent enough.Luckily for me, the Sandman books are fast and easy, though never simple. This one starts with a

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-62259395147095444482008-10-12T20:00:00.000-07:002008-10-12T20:03:16.845-07:00

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Allison GoodmanThere were two times, while I was reading Allison Goodman's new novel, when I didn't like the book. In the very beginning, while the author was trying to introduce the invented world of her dragoncentric fantasy -- based largely on feudal Japan and Mandarin China, but changed into something of the author's own creation -- I got lost; too much information

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-13475548144086582872008-10-12T19:58:00.000-07:002008-10-12T20:00:26.208-07:00

Things Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeThis one was homework, in a way; I'm teaching Senior English for the first time, and since it is supposed to encapsulate World Lit and British Lit -- y'know, pretty much everything that's been written, anywhere, ever -- one of the required novels is Chinua Achebe's book about Africa, which I've never read, even though it was recommended to me several years ago --

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-65620646766456945082008-10-10T08:37:00.000-07:002008-10-10T08:40:39.678-07:00

The Harlequin by Laurell K. HamiltonThe second to last book we have at present -- though she's still writing more, I'm happy to say, plus I still have that whole Merry Gentry series to read, woot! -- and one of the best so far. The Harlequin starts off like Burnt Offerings, with a harbinger of vampiric doom; this time it isn't the Council itself coming to visit, but rather the long arm of

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-10343522102154828692008-10-10T08:35:00.000-07:002008-10-10T08:37:52.500-07:00

The Sea of Trollsby Nancy FarmerI picked this one up at Powell's because I liked The House of the Scorpion, which I read earlier this year, and when I went to look for other books by the same author, I found one about trolls. And Vikings. How could you go wrong with that?You can't. This is a good book, a nice little action/adventure with quite a lot of brain behind the brawn. It tells the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-66796780796217951192008-10-04T08:50:00.000-07:002008-10-04T08:53:16.062-07:00

Danse Macabre by Laurell K. HamiltonI have to admit, I'm getting a little tired of some parts of these books. But then, I've now read, what, fourteen of them? I have to think there would be elements of any series that would get tiresome after that many books. I know I got sick of the Aes Sedai in the Wheel of Time, and of Rand trying to make himself hard as stone, and of the regular theme of

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-19408630566899497322008-09-27T08:55:00.001-07:002008-09-27T08:55:57.384-07:00

Descartes' Bones by Russell ShortoI was having trouble deciding how to describe my experience of reading Russell Shorto's new history/philosophy book, Descartes' Bones, when I realized: that difficulty represents the experience itself. I found the book to be slippery. It was hard for me to focus on what I was reading, and yet I was interested enough to stop myself, when I realized I had just

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-3880329057985590922008-09-27T08:54:00.000-07:002008-09-27T08:55:05.382-07:00

Tree and Leaf by J.R.R. TolkienI've always wanted to read Tolkien's other works; I've read the Silmarillion a couple of times, and never really enjoyed it as much as the Hobbit or LOTR. But nonetheless, I've had an old copy of a Tolkien book called Tree and Leaf for years -- it was my parents' originally -- and I finally dove into it. It's short, only two pieces, but it was excellent -- and

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-8386094837476571562008-09-27T08:53:00.001-07:002008-09-27T08:53:46.454-07:00

Micah by Laurell K. HamiltonA nice, short, well-written book after the last hunk of indigestible nonsense. I finished this one in an afternoon, a very pleasant afternoon spent curled up in a recliner, reading about sex and love and the undead, with murders being solved and new ones occurring, an averted procreation emergency, and secrets revealed all over the place. It was fun.This was the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-31844657188543664872008-09-21T09:37:00.000-07:002008-09-21T09:39:35.972-07:00

I, robot by Howard S. SmithWhy would you take a title that's already been used? And not used by just anyone, but used by one of the greatest and best-known science fiction writers in history? And not just used by that author, but later turned into a massive Hollywood blockbuster starring one of the most popular actors of the day, thereby assuring that, unlike many famous science fiction titles,

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-78796012363556453762008-09-21T09:35:00.000-07:002008-09-21T09:37:18.922-07:00

Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. HamiltonThis one was good, but not as good as the other books in the series so far. I liked the new development of the second triumvirate with Nathaniel and Damian (Though I admit I got annoyed that the publishers misspelled the word "triumvirate" throughout; you'd think that they'd put a little time and effort into editing a novel from an author as successful and

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-52015658419586764452008-09-12T06:55:00.000-07:002008-09-12T06:56:44.269-07:00

Black Powder War by Naomi NovikThe third book in the Temeraire series was better than the second but still not quite as enjoyable as the first; I think it's a natural progression, since the first book is fun because it is nice and uncomplicated, like Temeraire himself, and the subsequent books naturally get much more complicated as Temeraire grows up and becomes more of a complete being, and as

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-8938493021983372692008-09-12T06:54:00.000-07:002008-09-12T06:55:21.334-07:00

Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. HamiltonGeez, what am I going to do when I finish all of these books and I no longer know exactly what I'm going to read next, half the time? I know -- I'll read the Merry Gentry series. Ha. Take that. And by the time I've finished that set, Hamilton will probably have written four more books that we'll need to buy and read. Stupid prolific authors.All right, so

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-83945330050703353332008-09-12T06:53:00.000-07:002008-09-12T06:54:32.482-07:00

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard MlodinowI got this one from Dad, who loaned it to me when he came for a visit, after he read the whole thing on his train ride up here from Paso Robles. This book reminded me quite a lot of The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki, another popular science/math book that I enjoyed and got some insights out of. This one, though maybe

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-62553854367970700932008-09-12T06:52:00.000-07:002008-09-12T06:57:38.005-07:00

Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. HamiltonIt is too perfect that this book, which I am writing about after I finished the next book about how our minds find patterns and order in chaos and random chance, about how we ascribe meaning to meaningless coincidences often perceived only in hindsight, should be #69 on my list. Or is it too Beavis and Butthead of me to notice that?So here it finally is,

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-27353992088494130682008-09-01T07:51:00.002-07:002008-09-01T07:52:27.206-07:00

Throne of Jade by Naomi NovikThe second Temeraire novel, this one is both slower-paced and more interesting than His Majesty's Dragon. The first book is so exploratory, going through the basic details of living with dragons and being a dragon, that not a lot else happens; this one moves on from there and has much more action, but at the same time, there is almost no dragon action in this book at

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-15917148375586317652008-09-01T07:51:00.001-07:002008-09-01T07:51:53.072-07:00

Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. HamiltonAll right, so we're up to Book 8 in the series now, and I still haven't lost any interest. Reading these as quickly as I have been has made them seem like one extremely long novel, rather than a series; I can't decide if it's better or worse this way. But the fact that the characters are still fascinating to me and the stories haven't lost anything over

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-26146170629740432382008-09-01T07:50:00.002-07:002008-09-01T07:51:10.927-07:00

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee BrownYeah, so we suck. I started reading this book, hmm, two summers ago, I think? Maybe only last year. But I had to put it down because it was too depressing -- and also too boring, at times, with the dry descriptions of tribal movements and the huge cast of characters, too huge to keep track of. But I'm glad I read it all this time, because it gave me

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-80748193312044813222008-09-01T07:50:00.001-07:002008-09-01T07:50:40.868-07:00

Blue Moon by Laurell K. HamiltonHaving spent the last book almost exclusively on vampires, after the visit from the council, this book moves more to the lycanthrope side, which was nice. I enjoy the three main influences on Anita, her human life, the vampires, and the wereanimals; it's good to see the interplay between them. I'll bet the next book focuses on the human aspects more than either

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-56828540246449307002008-09-01T07:49:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:50:06.060-07:00

Stubby Amberchuk and the Holy Grail by Anne CameronI picked this book up at a library book sale for a buck; I bought it, obviously, because of the title. But in retrospect, I'm not sure which part of the title interested me more: was it the idea that there could be a person named Stubby Amberchuk? Or the idea that said mellifluously appellated personage could seek out the cup of Christ? Having

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-77950476655536107512008-09-01T07:46:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:48:37.742-07:00

Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. HamiltonLooking for a good vampire book after reading that twaddle, I dove back into Anita Blake. This one was excellent, again, though it moves more into the long-term action of a series, rather than a one-shot stand-alone as the first books were. I prefer this kind of thing, because it helps keep the characters moving and growing and changing, but doesn't have to

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-80909303016280869542008-09-01T07:41:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:46:37.760-07:00

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie MeyerOh, what can I say about this book? Hey, I know: Renesmee. This was the worst idea, the worst character, the worst conclusion -- and the worst name -- I have ever encountered in a series that I liked. So you have this series of books that, as cheesy as they are in some ways -- Edward is literally too perfect, both as a vampire and as a boyfriend, and it's

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-37686621804042571352008-09-01T07:39:00.002-07:002008-09-01T07:40:32.480-07:00

Goblin Hero by Jim C. HinesI had to read this because I was still waiting for Toni to finish Breaking Dawn; I was a little annoyed at the time that it was taking her so long to read it, since we both whipped through the first three Meyer books in a day or so, but now that I've read it, I understand. I'm sorry now that she had to read it and stay silent, without having me to bitch to about it. I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-9615678080745329952008-09-01T07:39:00.001-07:002008-09-01T07:39:30.080-07:00

The Killing Dance by Laurell K. HamiltonThis one went a different way for me than the last few have, which I think was the author's intention. In the last few books, the best part has been the character development and the memorably written scenes -- usually of gore and horror. This one had both, but the part I liked best was actually the plot: I liked that the danger Anita faced this time came

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-78132674422922022392008-09-01T07:38:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:39:02.438-07:00

The Traveler by John Twelve HawksStop. Don't look. I said don't look! Oh, now you've done it: now the closed circuit camera on the building behind you, and the secret government agent sitting at that cafe with the digital camera implanted in his left earlobe, have both taken your picture. Your image will be put through facial recognition software, which will encode your features into a string

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-2308975618078974802008-09-01T07:37:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:38:04.484-07:00

Bloody Bones by Laurell K. HamiltonGeez, I'm running out of things to say about these books. Let's see: Anita has stopped seeing Jean-Claude as a monster, because she had yet another direct contrast between Jean-Claude and some real monsters -- several of them, in fact, and each was nastier and more gruesome than the last. We start with Xavier, the vampire pedophile who likes to kidnap young

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-65983281191155840282008-09-01T07:35:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:36:27.732-07:00

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi NovikThis was a re-read, because I finally found the second and third book in the series discounted at Powell's; I can only assume that the fire alarm they had right before we got there threw off whatever jerk has been snatching up every used copy the moment before I walk down the aisle for the last two years, and I managed to get there first. But since it has been

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-74894393949040281602008-09-01T07:32:00.000-07:002008-09-01T07:35:50.102-07:00

The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. HamiltonShould I be worried that I'm growing a little obsessive with these? Have I spent too much of my time reading this series, when I could be reading something else? Should I change this system of alternating other novels with Anita Blake books?Nah.One nice thing, actually, about reading this series so quickly, and without many other novels coming in between

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-2033212892450745592008-07-29T07:56:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:57:06.566-07:00

Mistborn by Brandon SandersonI've been keeping an eye out for this author's novels, because he's the guy writing the 12th book of the Wheel of Time from Robert Jordan's notes. I wanted to see if he had the authorial chops to handle the task he's taken on.Short answer: Maybe.I found Mistborn, the first in a trilogy, and bought it, and now spent 8 days reading it -- it's fairly long, and it's been

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-75892238664249202332008-07-29T07:55:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:56:31.169-07:00

Circus of the Damnedby Laurell K. HamiltonContinuing on with the Anita Blake series, I read the third one, Circus of the Damned. I didn't like this one quite as much as the last one, but I liked it more than the first. The bad guy in this one was good, though it centered a lot more on Anita and Jean-Claude and Anita's attempts to live a normal life, all of which are effectively ruined by her

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-36716485695538761062008-07-29T07:54:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:55:20.867-07:00

Conquistador by S.M. StirlingYou know, it's hard to say why I didn't like this book. Well, no it isn't, but I can almost justify every problem I had with it -- almost. Conquistador is the story of an alternate Earth, which becomes accessible through a freak accident which opens a dimensional portal from our Earth to the new one. In this new land, European settlers never made it to the New

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-47855491707417104332008-07-29T07:53:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:54:16.485-07:00

The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. HamiltonBoy, and you thought the first one was bloody? This one was easily the goriest, most gruesome piece of writing I've seen outside of Stephen King and some of the schlock-fest fiction I've read in the past when no better option was available -- you know, trapped in a waiting room kind of thing. Actually, probably working in the discount bookstore in Esco,

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-4934822603470460982008-07-29T07:45:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:53:20.785-07:00

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank MillerAnd by the way, even though it doesn't need justification, this comic book counts as a book on the list because I spent several days before this trying to read Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart, the sequel to Through Wolf's Eyes by Jane Lindskold. I liked the first book, because the main characters, the girl and her wolf friend, were excellent, the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-28350306764760371952008-07-29T07:44:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:45:56.509-07:00

Guilty Pleasuresby Laurell K. HamiltonI finally read this one. I tried it a year or two ago and didn't like it; I remember being annoyed by the main character, but I can't really remember why. It was something about how she found the evil vampires attractive, I think. But that's weird, because she doesn't, not really -- not until the end of the book. Eh, I don't know why I didn't like it then

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-68988820523304791852008-07-29T07:43:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:44:41.205-07:00

The Utopia of Sir Thomas MoreI thought, "Hey, let's go for something different. Something classic, instead of trendy; profound, instead of shallow; realistic, instead of fantasy." So I picked up Sir Thomas More's Utopia, one of those books I found at a library sale and bought because Cinderella liked it in Ever After. Just one of those random decisions for reading.I'm glad I read it, but I

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-66359730258177320412008-07-02T15:58:00.002-07:002008-07-02T16:01:16.632-07:00

Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark HenryI had a unique experience in reading this book: for the first time in my life, out of all the books I have read, this book was so bad that it kept me awake at night. I actually couldn't sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about how annoyed I was at the author, at the characters -- and, I suppose, at myself for actually deciding to read this wad of

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-85399255572055988162008-07-02T15:58:00.001-07:002008-07-02T15:58:56.568-07:00

The Wastelandsby Stephen KingLooking for something good, I read the third book in the Dark Tower series, The Wastelands. There are parts of this one that I really love, particularly when they draw Jake into Mid-World, and the parts just before that when Jake is the POV character in New York -- I love the scene when he finds the rose in the vacant lot, for instance, and sees faces everywhere and

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-8859611996275532252008-07-02T15:57:00.001-07:002008-07-02T15:57:57.243-07:00

Small Favorby Jim ButcherSmall Favor came in the mail! Two months before we expected it, since we ordered it bundled with Stephanie Meyer's new book, which isn't due out until August. So, the Dresden series now having become my very favorite paranormal books, of course I read it as soon as I got the chance. Finished it pretty fast, too, since I had to stay up late Saturday night to let my mom

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-81747893828571767662008-07-02T15:55:00.000-07:002008-07-02T15:57:00.148-07:00

Goblin Questby Jim C. HinesI finally got a hold of Goblin Quest, the first book in a new trilogy that looks like good comic fantasy: they're about a goblin named Jig who becomes an unlikely and unwilling hero, helping human adventurers in a quest despite a goblin's natural cowardice and untrustworthiness. I saw Book 2 at Fred Meyer several months ago, maybe even last year, and then Book 3 more

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-24785102631388403732008-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:002008-06-17T09:04:14.893-07:00

The Iron Ring by Lloyd AlexanderI picked this one up at Powell's some time in the last year; I was looking in the young adults section, curious if Alexander, who wrote the Prydain Chronicles that I loved so much as a young adult (before that, actually) had written anything else I was curious about. This one caught my eye, and so it has been sitting on the shelf and calling to me ever since. Now

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-62366895152665633322008-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:002008-06-17T09:02:40.858-07:00

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine HarrisAlas and alack, I have read my last Sookie book for another year, at least. I wonder how far this is going to go, this series. Since this is more of a life story than a fantasy epic, it really doesn't have to end until Sookie does -- and thanks to what we learned in this book about her ancestors and their longevity, it could be a very long while before that

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-90882702254530164462008-06-15T06:43:00.000-07:002008-06-15T06:44:32.434-07:00

Never Cry Wolf by Farley MowatI'm very glad I finally read this, because I've wanted to read it since I saw the movie when I was a kid and loved it so much -- and I wonder now just how much influence this movie had on me and my feelings about animals. I never saw Old Yeller or Free Willy and I barely remember Bambi; this was the one that made the impression. Maybe it's why I feel such an

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-86418873947162145932008-06-15T06:42:00.000-07:002008-06-15T06:43:45.915-07:00

All Together Dead by Charlaine HarrisContinuing with the Saga of Sookie, this one goes deep into the world of vampires, and also shows why that isn't a good thing. This is an excellent book in this series, because this book makes us think about a number of things: the relationship between the vamps and the humans, the relationship between vamps and Sookie, between Sookie and Quinn, Sookie and

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-9041141647702003112008-06-08T06:57:00.000-07:002008-06-08T06:58:13.939-07:00

The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa GraffLast library review book, I think, until the fall, though this one was just Jaime soliciting an opinion, not a full-on review. Overall I think it's a cute book; there are definitely some flaws in it, many of them related to the genre, but it has a nice feel to it and the writing was quite good.The basic story is about a twelve-year-old girl

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-42165425965848746652008-06-08T06:56:00.000-07:002008-06-08T06:57:32.244-07:00

Definitely Deadby Charlaine HarrisOur new Charlaine Harris book arrived in the mail -- yay Sookie! -- and so I had to start refreshing myself before diving into that one. Actually, that's a good way to describe these books: refreshing. They're light, they're fast, they're fun, and yet there's a real attraction to both the character and the story. Much of the action is taken up just with

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-53167716392497654522008-06-08T06:53:00.000-07:002008-06-08T06:56:10.623-07:00

Heloise and Abelard: A New Biographyby James BurgeI was feeling, oh, a bit more scholarly, I suppose, so I read Heloise and Abelard. It was surprisingly good: very well-written, better than most scholarly historical books. It reminded me of How The Irish Saved Civilization, which was also a very well-written and interesting book. Like that one, this one benefits greatly from the fact that the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-89254120920690628892008-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:002008-06-08T06:53:07.217-07:00

Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie VaughnThis one wasn't my favorite of the series. The writing is still excellent, and I love the characters -- I especially liked that I got to see more of Cormac, and learn more of his past, which was both welcome and interesting -- but the plot was a bit lacking. Kitty isn't "taking a holiday," she's running away from her job and her life, hiding out in a small

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-27711835733675189202008-05-25T06:44:00.000-07:002008-05-25T06:46:06.704-07:00

Sunrise over Fallujahby Walter Dean MyersGot a little more homework; this time I got to pick my book, and oh man, did I ever pick wrong.Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean MyersHow far should one go, to offer the benefit of the doubt? At what point does that generosity, that trust in another's basic capability despite evidence to the contrary, become a sign of foolishness on the part of the

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-88173080889011681892008-05-25T06:41:00.000-07:002008-05-25T06:44:50.192-07:00

The Drawing of the Three by Stephen KingThis is a great book. It's one of my favorite series, because it is epic fantasy told by a master of supernatural horror whose strongest talent as a writer is his ability to depict realism, particularly realistic people and human interaction. Stephen King's books feel real, which is why his monsters and things are so very creepy, because they seem like

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-91400733601881704052008-05-18T11:33:00.000-07:002008-05-18T11:34:18.653-07:00

Achilles' Choiceby Larry Niven and Steven BarnesDefinitely something lighter, since the ending of that book was pretty depressing, and maybe something faster. Less real, less poetic. Hmm. Maybe Kitty Takes a Holiday? No -- let's go with a little science fiction, since I rarely read that any more. Ah, here we go: Achilles's Choice, by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes. One of the better

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-25663483244348826582008-05-18T11:30:00.000-07:002008-05-18T11:32:06.360-07:00

Resistanceby Owen SheersAnother recommendation from school, this one, once again, from my friendly neighborhood librarian. Third time's the charm.Resistance by Owen SheersFrom the blurb aback the cover: Imbued with immense imaginative breadth and confidence, Owen Sheers's debut novel unfolds with the pace and intensity of a thriller. A hymn to the glorious landscape of the Welsh border

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091839878351889302.post-85026327792231934572008-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:002008-05-18T11:29:12.950-07:00

The House of the Scorpionby Nancy FarmerThis was a nice one, a fast, easy, interesting read after all of these slow books I've been through. When it's taken me a week to read each of the last two books, I really need a one-day read as a pick-me-up, and that's what this was. The House of the Scorpion is a very interesting little dystopia: the drug lords of Mexico, led by one Matteo Alacran,

Dustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703985239518732600noreply@blogger.com0